Machines suitable for use in the manufacture of ceramic ware

A machine suitable for use in removing seams from cup handles comprising means for carrying a plurality of sponges step-by-step successively through a series of operating stations, each of the sponges having a passage of suitably profiled cross-section for removing the seams from the handles, means at a first station for pushing a handle one way along the passage of a sponge, means at a second station for pushing the handle along the passage the other way and for ejecting it from the sponge, means at a following station comprising a hollow tube of similar profile to the cross-section of the passages of the sponges with perforations in its wall, and means for causing the tube to traverse to and fro in the passage, means also being provided in the machine at this station for expelling water through the perforations of the tube during at least part of its traverse in each successive passage, and, at a further station, means comprising a presser member for squeezing the sponges to remove excess water, the machine being thus so arranged that each sponge is cleaned in a cycle of operation of the machine after removing the seam from a handle.